Two days ago, the studio GSC Game World* announced that a unique metaverse with NFTs would appear in S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2**. However, a flood of criticism from the gaming community forced the company to abandon this idea.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2**
GSC Game World* announced their decision late last night.
Dear stalkers, we hear you. We've decided to cancel everything related to NFTs in S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2**. The interests of our fans and players are the most important to our team. We are working on a game that should bring you enjoyment—no matter the cost. What matters to you matters to us as well.
However, this was not the only statement from the developers last night. Shortly before GSC Game World* announced their NFT plans cancellation, they had published another post (at least in the English-language Twitter). In it, they explained why they decided to add non-fungible tokens to the game. The studio later deleted this post.
GSC Game World* is an independent development studio. We don't have a publisher, but we do have great partners, an incredible team, and a dream to create a game you will love. Like all developers, we need two resources—time and money.
According to GSC Game World*, the money earned from NFTs was meant to be spent on improving S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2**.
Moreover, the developers wanted to “do NFTs right.” A portion of the shooter’s fans would have been able to enter the game, while it wouldn’t have affected the rest of the gamers. The tokens acquired would not affect the plot or the gameplay.
Deleted statement
Initially, the studio planned for users to acquire NFTs before the release of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2**. The sale of the tokens was set to begin in January 2022 on the DMarket platform. Each NFT owner from the game could have become a highly detailed “metahuman” within the shooter. Additionally, the names of the buyers would appear on some walls, tables, and lockers in the game.
The release of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2** is scheduled for April 28, 2022, on PC and Xbox Series X|S.
*The studio's activities are considered undesirable in the territory of the Russian Federation
**Belongs to GSC Game World, whose activities are considered undesirable in the territory of the Russian Federation